One of Mansfield District Council’s oldest tenants still living independently has celebrated her 100th birthday.

Marie Rowley, the oldest resident at Poppy Fields Extra Care sheltered housing complex, celebrated reaching her centenary with a surprise party.

It was attended by family, friends, councillors and neighbours at the Poppy Fields Community Hub, close to her two-bedroom bungalow.

Apart from receiving support from carers and wearing an alarm call pendant, which enables her to speak to a central control room at any time of the day or night if she has any concerns, Marie lives an independent life.

She is in fairly good health, having survived a brain haemorrhage, cerebral encephalitis and breast cancer, and has continued a life-long interest in poetry, still writing and reciting her work.

Sharon Mays, a Mansfield District Council assist response officer, who supports the pensioner at Poppy Fields, said: “Marie is an amazing lady – it is really unusual for someone to be living independently at such an age, but she manages very well and is quite a character at Poppy Fields.

“Older people prefer to be in their own homes and places like Poppy Fields enable this to happen.”

Coun Barry Answer, portfolio holder for housing, who attended Marie’s party, said: “What a lady! Isn’t it fantastic that with the right support in place she is able to stay living in her own home?

“This is exactly what this kind of sheltered housing aims to achieve.”

Marie grew up in Clipstone and Forest Town and has also lived in Annesley Woodhouse and Kirkby.

She worked as a ledger clerk for ten years with the National Coal Board in Bestwood. Before that she was a shop assistant at the Co-op and a bus conductor with Trent Buses in Hucknall.

Married three times, she has two sons, one grandchild and a great-grandchild.

During her third marriage, which lasted several decades, Marie and her husband, George Rowley, developed an interest in showing dog.

A few years after George’s sudden death at 67, love continued to blossom for Marie, explained her son, Tony Thompson, 71.

“A few years before the start of the Second World War, my mother was seeing a young lad called Eddie Iball.

“They were in love and planned to marry. However, it was not to be and Eddie joined the RAF, went off to war and they lost touch.

“In her 70s, my mother had a chance meeting with her long lost love, Eddie, and they started seeing each other and going out again.

“They moved into together and had a few good years until, sadly, Eddie died of a heart condition.

“My mother has soldiered on through life and has outlived the majority of her friends and relatives, reaching that magical 100 years.

“I am sure she will continue for several more.”

Marie said her secret to a long life was: “Not overdoing things, take things slowly – don’t rush things, you are not missing anything.

“I have not done anything really very exciting in my life.

“I just live day to day and take what comes.

“I put up with what I don’t like and enjoy what I do like.”

Pictured, from left, are Mansfield District Council portfolio holder for housing, Coun Barry Answer; Pam Meeks, Marie’s niece; Tony Thompson, Marie’s son; Marie Rowley; Steve Meeks, the son of Marie’s niece; Coun Kevin Brown, chairman of Mansfield District Council; Pete Brown, Marie’s nephew; and Elizabeth Vigne, Tony Thompson’s partner.